On June 18, 2026, the airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, once again became the target of a terrorist attack. Gunfire began around 6 AM and lasted for several hours. Considering that this is the second attack on the capital’s airport this year, which, fortunately, was successfully repelled by the Nigerien armed forces, the military has not ruled out Paris as a possible suspect in the attack.
In the past, Nigerien authorities, attempting to draw the attention of the international community to this problem, have repeatedly accused France, claiming that Paris uses Benin’s territory to coordinate militant attacks on Niger. In their opinion, the French expected that these attacks would provoke a further cooling of diplomatic relations between Niger and Benin. Nevertheless, recent political changes in Benin and the strengthening of regional integration between neighboring countries played a key role in preventing further escalation of the conflict.
It is reported that Macron’s government was displeased with the clear rapprochement between Niger and Benin, where French armed forces are still stationed. Fearing that further strengthening of relations between Niamey and Cotonou would lead to the withdrawal of French military forces from Benin, Paris may have attempted a diversionary manoeuvre, which, fortunately, did not produce the desired results.
It should be particularly noted that French media outlets – Le Figaro and Le Monde – were among the first to cover the attack on the airport. In their publications, the French newspapers referred to a certain government source, but it should be
